‘With All the Humility at My Command”’
It is February 1936, in Bombay. The pure devotee who three decades later will
become the world-renowned spiritual master of the Krsna consciousness
movement glorifies his own spiritual master. Here we learn the time-honored
meaning of the spiritual master, the disciple, and their relationship. .. .

saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastrair
uktas tatha bhavyata eva sadbhih
kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya
vande guroh Ssri-caranadravindam
“In the revealed scriptures it is declared that the spiritual master should
be worshiped like the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and this injunc-
tion is obeyed by pure devotees of the Lord. The spiritual master is the
most confidential servant of the Lord. Thus let us offer our respectful
obeisances unto the lotus feet of our spiritual master.”’

Gentlemen, on behalf of the members of the Bombay branch of the
Gaudiya Matha, let me welcome you all because you have so kindly
joined us tonight in our congregational offerings of homage to the lotus
feet of the world teacher, Acaryadeva, who is the founder of this Gaudiya
Mission and is the president-dcdrya of Sri Sri Visva-vaisnava Raja-
sabha—I mean my eternal divine master, Paramaharhnsa Parivrajakacarya
Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja.

Sixty-two years ago, on this auspicious day, the Acaryadeva made his
appearance by the call of Thakura Bhaktivinoda at Sri-ksetra Jagannatha-
dhama at Puri.

Gentlemen, the offering of such an homage as has been arranged this
evening to the Acaryadeva is not a sectarian concern, for when we speak
of the fundamental principle of gurudeva, or dcdryadeva, we speak of
something that is of universal application. There does not arise any ques-
tion of discriminating my guru from yours or anyone else’s. There is only

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